Analytical results for design space exploration of multi-core processors employing thread migration

ABSTRACT

Migrating threads away from the hot cores in a multicore processor allows them to operate at up to higher speeds. While this technique has already attracted a lot of research effort, the majority of thread migration studies are simulation-based. Although they are valuable for micro-architectural level optimization, they require prohibitively long simulation times, and hence have limited value for early design space exploration. We derive closed form expressions for the steady-state throughput of a multicore processor that employs thread migration and throttling for thermal management. These expressions can be evaluated under a millisecond (vs days for cycle-accurate simulation), and allow designers greater flexibility in evaluating the trade-offs involved in implementing thread migration on-chip. We also developed a system-level power/thermal simulator that we used to validate the analytical results.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.4 PERFORMANCE OF SYSTEMS
      Subjects: Modeling techniques

General Terms:
Algorithms, Performance, Theory

Keywords:
analytical, leakage dependence on temperature, thermal management, thermal model, thread migration, throttling, throughput